ATLANTA, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines
(NYSE: DAL) will continue fueling customers with the fastest
connectivity experience in the sky by increasing its commitment to
2Ku, Gogo's industry-leading in-flight Wi-Fi technology, by at
least 350 aircraft. This brings Delta's total 2Ku commitment to
more than 600 aircraft in its mainline fleet.
2Ku is next-generation technology that provides consistent,
uninterrupted coverage nearly anywhere in the world, including over
oceans. Installation of 2Ku will offer customers faster speeds and
bandwidth more than 20 times that of Gogo's ATG technology,
allowing for video streaming functionality. This summer, customers
will be able to use Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment from taxi and
takeoff through landing on 2Ku-enabled aircraft. In late 2016,
Delta will launch IPTV, giving customers the ability to watch live
TV from their own devices on 2Ku-enabled aircraft.
"Delta customers have expressed an interest in their time in the
air being as productive as their time on the ground, and 2Ku
satellite offers a vastly upgraded in-flight Wi-Fi experience,"
said Tim Mapes, Delta's Senior Vice
President and Chief Marketing Officer. "By committing to more
aircraft with 2Ku technology, we're providing Delta customers with
faster and more reliable in-flight connectivity as a part of
Delta's commitment to always delivering the industry's best
on-board services."
"With 2Ku, Delta will be able to deliver the best inflight
experience to its passengers wherever they fly around the world,"
said Jon Cobin, Gogo's Executive
Vice President, Global Airline Business Group. "We know how
important it is to Delta to bring this technology to passengers and
we plan on getting it deployed on these aircraft as soon as
possible."
2Ku installation has already started on Delta's Boeing 737-800
and Airbus A319 fleets, and additional fleets will be retrofitted
with the new system. By the end of 2016, Delta will operate more
than 35 aircraft with 2Ku, which offers reduced drag and fuel burn
compared to other Wi-Fi systems. 2Ku is next-generation technology
that uses dual Ku-band satellite antennas – one receiver for the
upward link to the aircraft, and the other for the downward, return
link to the ground.
Delta has completed installation of Ku-band satellite Wi-Fi on
nearly all of its wide-body international fleet – including Boeing
747, 767, 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft as well as Boeing 757
aircraft operating on long-haul routes – and will be 100 percent
complete by September 2016. 2Ku
service will be offered on Airbus A330-900Neo and A350-900 aircraft
when they enter Delta's fleet in 2019 and 2017, respectively.
Delta operates the world's largest Wi-Fi-equipped fleet, with
more than 3,500 connected flights daily, including its entire fleet
of 660 domestic mainline aircraft. More than 1,000 Delta aircraft,
including nearly all Delta Connection two-class regional jets and
99 percent of its long-haul international fleet are equipped with
in-flight Wi-Fi service, offering access to more than 370,000
customers per day.
Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year.
In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies
in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth
time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the
Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented
five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network,
Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 330
destinations in 61 countries on six continents. Headquartered in
Atlanta, Delta employs nearly
80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more
than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam
global alliance and participates in the industry's leading
transatlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia
as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its
worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than
15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including
Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St.
Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake
City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of
dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and
technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the
ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub,
as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta,
Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines